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North Korea Begins Dismantling Test Site

<p>Satellite images from mid-June show that North Korea has started to dismantle&nbsp&semi;a weapons testing site it has used for most rocket tests since 2012&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>This behavior follows the signing of a denuclearization agreement in which North Korea promised to move towards denuclearization in&nbsp&semi;exchange for certain &ldquo&semi;security guarantees&rdquo&semi; from the United States&period; The agreement was signed after President Trump met with Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12th&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On Monday&comma;&nbsp&semi;Trump confirmed he was not angry about the progress or lack of progress being made in North Korea&period; Last week&comma; he said there was &ldquo&semi;no time limit&rdquo&semi; on future denuclearization negotiations with North Korea&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&ldquo&semi;A rocket has not been launched by North Korea in 9 months&period; Likewise&comma; no nuclear tests&period; Japan is happy&comma; all of Asia is happy&comma;&rdquo&semi; tweeted Trump&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The facilities now being torn down are &ldquo&semi;believed to have played an important role in the development of technologies for the North&rsquo&semi;s intercontinental ballistic missile program&comma;&rdquo&semi; reports Washington-based think tank 38 North&period; &ldquo&semi;These efforts represent a significant confidence-building measure on the part of North Korea&period;&rdquo&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>North Korea&rsquo&semi;s intercontinental ballistic program was particularly worrisome considering Kim&rsquo&semi;s stated goal of building a weapon that could carry a nuke to the US mainland&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The dismantling &ldquo&semi;could mean that North Korea is also willing to forgo satellite launches for the time being as well as nuclear and missile tests&period; This distinction has derailed diplomacy in the past&comma;&rdquo&semi; says Jenny Town&comma; managing editor of 38 North&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Experts say the complete destruction of the site would eliminate the easiest spot from which the North could fire multiple ICBMs in a row &lpar;as far as we know&rpar;&comma; but critics worry the operation is one big PR move&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&ldquo&semi;The question is whether it will be a meaningful development in the long term&period; That depends on whether they continue to disable and dismantle their ballistic missile proton and testing facilities&comma;&rdquo&semi;&nbsp&semi;notes 38 North Analyst Joseph Bermudez&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>As critics have pointed out&comma; the&nbsp&semi;regime has not invited inspectors to view the operation or offered to destroy facilities known to store or produce nuclear or missile systems&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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